Fastening and connection for glass plates



4 Sheets-Sheet FASTENING AND CONNECTION FOR GLASS PLATES 2, mw m o Aug. 6; 1935.

Aug. 6, 1935. A. HERMAN 2,010,394

FASTENING AND CONNECTION FOR GLASS PLATES Filed Feb. 12, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 *l .9 x16 a5- l@ 1 Hi f?? es l e@ l Tl 55' :J l l I l 17 j'XJ- 4,55 y f ff Aug. 6, 1935. A. HERMAN 2,010,394

FASTENING AND CONNECTION FOR GLASS PLATES Filed Feb. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug.A 6, 1935. A. HERMAN 2,010,394

FASTENING AND CONNECTION FOR GLASS PLATES Filed Feb. l2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED ISTATES PATENT ori-lcs Alexander Herman, Berlin, Germany Application February 12, 1934, Serial No. 710,972

8 Claims.

This invention relates to' a new detachable fastening and connection for glass plates.

As glass is very sensitive to certain strains, it is quite diflicult to connect glass plates, particularly those of large dimensions and great thickness, with one another or to secure them to supports, such as frames and the like. pierced for attaching fastening or connecting screws, the glass will break as soon as the screws are slightly overtightened. Furthermore, the use of these fastening or connecting means involves the loss of a perfectly smooth surface which is often desirable.

'I'he employment of other means for joining two parts, which are known and used in other fields, has hitherto .always been rejected by those skilled in the art with respect to glassfplates, since they did not appear to be promising in' view of the peculiarity of glass.

Thorough experiments have shown, however, that it is nevertheless possible to produce immovable connections for` glass plates, which will withstand great stresses and yet be easily detachable, without being compelled to pierce' or tap the plates.

, According to the invention, this can be doneby providing the glass plates to be secured to a support or to one another with clearances in the form of local depressions, the undercut walls tion of` large and heavy glass plates with supports of any kind orv with one another so as to produce objects of different shape.k

The invention further aiIords the advantage of simple and cheap production.

Further details and uses of the connection according to the invention will be disclosed below in the description of the embodiments illustratedv in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 50 is a front view oi a table having metal legs and a glass top; Fig 2, an inverted plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale on the line III-D1, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view of a fastening point seen from below; Fig. 5, a section 55 of another form of fastening means; Fig. 5a, a

If the plates arev of which are engaged by separate clamps inter-l connectedby adjustable parts, preferably in the Germany October 16, 1931 (Cl. S12-140) section on the line V--V, of Fig. 5; Fig. 6, a top view of another embodiment of the invention with several clamp parts engaging a common clearance; Fig. 7, a. section on the line VII-VII, of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a section on the line VIII-VIII, of Fig. 6; Figs. 9 to 22 show difierent construe,- tional embodiments of the invention for interconnecting glass plates, Fig. 9 lbeing a perspective view of Ha show-case consisting of several glass plates; Fig. 10 being a detail view on a largerv scale of one corner of the case according to Fig. 9 as seen in the direction of the arrow X; Fig. 11- 4showing another corner of 'the case according to Fig. 9 in the direction of the arrow XI; Fig. 12 showing stili another corner of thecase according to Fig. 9 in the direction of thesarrow XII; Fig..13 is a section on the line XIII-XIII, of Fig. 9; Fig. 14, a section of a clamp, showing on a larger scale one form of Aclamping device; Fig. l5, a top view of a clamp, showing another form of 'clamping device; Fig. 16; a side view of the device shown in Fig. 15; Fig.17, a top view of still another form of clamping device and clamp; Fig. 18, a section on the line XVIII- XV'lII, of Fig. 17; Figs. 19 and20 are, respectively, a longitudinal section and a top View of another form of clamp; Figs. 21, 21a and 2lb are, respectively, a top view and two sections of an embodiment showing a clearance with two clamps; and Fig. 22 shows a further form of such constructions. i

Referring to the drawings, the table according to Figs. 1 and 2 comprises four metal tubes I in crosswise arrangement, which are bent below to form the transverse struts 2 constituting the base. 3 is the glass plate to be connected with the table frame and provided for this purpose with the clearances or recesses 4 which are arranged in pairs opposite to one another, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.v

'Ihe recesses l can be produced in various ways. They may be completely cast in or pressed in when the plates are made, though exhaustive experiments have shown that it is particularly advantageous subsequently to provide the recesses by grinding them out of the nished glass plate.

The recesses may have diierent forms, depending on the use for which the plates are intended. A recess may for instancev be shaped like a shell or trough and have a straight or curved bottom surface. 1

` In the constructions shown it is assumed that the recess is produced by an ordinary grinding wheel and thus acquires a form shown in Fig. 4, which corresponds to that of the grinding wheel.

Each recess has at least one undercut wall 5, and the slopes of two opposite. recesses extend in opposite directions, as indicated in Fig. 3.

rIhe recesses l are engaged by the make-up pieces or clamps Gi comprising a fiat rounded portion ll, a sloping surface corresponding to the undercut wall 5 of the recesses l, and a rounded fiat projection Si.

The clamps o are inserted.in the recess, so that the portion l lies on the bottom thereof, and then laterally displaced, until their sloping face abuts against the sloping wall 5 of the recesses l. In this position the projection 8, with its side facing the glass plate 3, will hug the latter and prevent tilting.

At all points where the clamp t contacts with the glass plate 3 a thin layer 8 of a yielding material, e. g., rubber, is loosely interposed or 'connected with the glass plate or the clamp by pasting or in any other suitable manner.

Of the clamps 3 inserted in the recesses i of the glass plates 3, two are always joined together by a connecting means i@ which in the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is a wire provided on both ends with the turnbuckles l2 which are threaded and engage bores of the clamps o. Other means or arrangements may be provided for connecting the clamps 3,' as indicated in Fig. 14, where both ends of the; connecting wire i0 are formed with screw threads itl' engaged by nut-forming sleeves i2' each rotatable in the respective clamp t. .Other con'- structional forms will be described in connectionv with Figs. l5 to 18.

It is further possible to reverse the direction of the application pressure, that is, to move the inserted pieces apart instead of drawing them together in order to `fasten them to the glass plates. In this case, the sloping faces of the recess il in Fig. 3 would be on the outside thereof and rigid connecting means would be required.

The inserted pieces or clamps 3 serve as carriers for the fastening means proper which may be diierently arranged and constructed.

In the construction according to Fig. 3 each clamp t is assumed to possess a threaded pin i3 directly engaging a counter-thread on the legs i.

It is, however, possible to ,connect with the clamps or inserted pieces 6 special intermediate members which are then suitably fastened to the frame. l

In order to bring the point of application of the tensional forces into the glass plate 3 or at least near the edges thereof, the projection 8 of the clamp 6 may have a perforation through which the connecting .wire In passes which will then be very close to the underside of the plate 3.

For the same purpose, the projection 8 in Fig. 3 is Apierced and the connecting wire I0 passes through this bore.

As Figs. 5 and 5a show, the glass plate 3 may have a ground groove I4 which increases in depth towards the recess 4. In this groove Ill-the connecting wire I0 is embedded, and the clamping screw I2 acts farther up and is located inside the recess4.

As to the number of recesses and their distribution over the glass plate various possibilities exist. For example, instead of the crosswise arrangement shown in Fig. 2, two cooperating recesses may be disposed at a distance from and parallel to one another in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the plate.

In case of very large glass plates several pairs aoiasoe of cooperating clamps may be arranged one behind the other to distribute the stresses as uniformly as possible over the entire plate.

In some instances, where supports of special In `such. cases several clamp portions are inserted in a common recess having undercut walls, and are then interconnected by a locking member. The recess'may for instance be circular in shape and engaged by three or more clamp portions of circular form which are connected by a threaded center portion and thus at the same time locked relative to the clearance.

vIn the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8 the glass plate 3 has a recess i5 having substantially the form of a dovetailed groove with slightly curved bottom. The undercut longitudinal walls it of this recess i5 support two correspondingly shaped chucks il, i8 having circular cavities 2o, 2i and slopes 22, which are engaged by a wedgeshaped member 23, comprising a covering plate 2d and being integral therewith, in the manner of a bayonet catch.

Assembly is ei'r'ected as follows:

lThe two parts ll, i8 are placed in the position shown in Fig. 6. Then the wedge member 23 with the plate 2d is introduced from above and turned so that the ends of the wedge contact with the slopings 22 of the cavities 28, 2l, so that the two chucks l'i, i8 are spread apart and clamped against the undercut walls |16 of the recess i5. In

" locking positionas shown in Fig. 6, the plate 2d can be held by two screws 25.

The connection according to the invention aifords special advantages when cases of the kind used for the display of objects of all sorts are to be produced. v

Fig. 9 shows such a case comprising rive glass plates 23 and a plate 2 serving as cover.

The connection of the glass -plates consists of two separate clamps 28 which, as described, possess projections engaging trough-shaped recesses As Fig. 9 indicates, two clamping devices on 1 each side suice for keeping the edges of the glass plates together.

The cover 2l is secured by means of the clamping device according to the invention in the Iollowing manner:

Two clamps 3l engage two recesses 4 in the cover Blfand the projections of these clamps, as stated before, are pressed against the undercut walls of the recesses by a wire 32. The clamps 3| possess arms 33 terminating in a hinge 34 to which the arms 35 of two other clamps 36 are rotatably attached. Theseclamps 36 are pressed again together with a clamp 28 against the walls of two correspondingly arranged recesses 4 by the length, such as a wire' For the same purpose serve the arrangements shown in Figs. 21 and 22. Here the clamp 28 and the two wires engaging it and working in diierent directions are replaced by two clamps 40, 4| inserted in a T-shap'ed recess 42 so that the clamp abuts against the backed oix wall 44 and the clamp 4I against the wall 43 of the same recess extending vertically to the wall 44.v

four diierent directions and terminating in tensioning clamps which similarly engage the recesses at another part of the same glass plate or of another plate. f

It is thus apparent that such a cruciform recess may be provided substantially in the middle of the glass plate forming a Wall of the casing, in the glass casing shown in Fig. 9. A tensioning wire then extends vertically upwards over the upper abutting edge to the cover of the casing; another extends vertically downwardly` over the lower abutting edge to the bottom plate; and

wires extend to the right and left, respectively,

to the 'corresponding tensioning clamps in `he two connecting side walls.

' In this construction as well as in similar ones the four clamps may be integral, and still` other arrangements are possible which require no description. It may 4merely be mentioned in this connection that two clamping devices working in different directions may engage a. single recess whose opposite walls are provided with oppositely vdirected slopings.

Figs. 15 to 20 show various modied forms of clamps and connecting means.

The connecting means for two or more clamps may consist of wire, wire rope and other suitable material, including flexible material, such as catgut, cords and the like.

Figs. 15 to 18 show clamps specially suited for elastic connecting means.

The clamp shown in Fig. 15 consists of a bowshaped part 41. reaching over the glass plate 3 and integral with the projection 48 engaging the recess 4. In two extensions of the bow 41 a small roll or drum 49 is disposed on which the elastic connecting means 50vis wound up during tensioning. Whenthe drum 49 has been rotated by a suitable tool to obtain the proper tension, it is secured in position' by suitable means, such as a to pass.

The clamping device is disposed vertically to the glass plate and consists of a roll 54 rotatably disposed in the top part of the clamp, on which the tensioning means is wound up when the roll 54 is rotated by a suitable tool. After suitable tension has been attained the roll 54 is held in adjusted position by suitable means such as the nut 55.

In the construction according to Figs. 19 and 20 the clamp consists of a 'wire strap 56 whose two sides 5l arei'bent to form hooks at their front ends and which, approximately in their centers, form loops 58 and terminate in a web 59. 'I'he loops 58 carry a roll BD which is engaged by the connecting means 6|.

The upwardly bent web 59 lies underneath the clamping wire 6|, and the wire bow 55 is thus always held in the position shown in Fig. 19.

It is evident that the invention may be modied in various ways without, however, deviating from the spirit thereof.

1. 'I'he combination with a glass plate structure formed with spaced recesses, each` recess having an undercut wall, of separate clamps each lengaging' an undercut wall of a recess, a connection between said clamps, effective to hold said clamps in engagement with said recess, and

ymeans for varying the effective length of said connection.

2.'The combination claimed in claim l, in which the recesses are each of generally rectangular formand provided with a curved bottom face.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the connection between the .clamps is under tension.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the connection between the clamps includes a exible tension member;

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the clamps are formed with projections adapted to bear on the. surface of the plate, said projections having passages therein for the connection between the clamps.

6. A glass plate structure comprising abutting glass plates formed with recesses having undercut walls, clamps having projections engaging the recesses of said abutting plates and bearing Aon said undercut walls, and devices under tension for connecting said clamps and maintaining said projections in engagement with the undercut walls of said recesses.

7. A glass plate structure as claimed in claim 6 having a recessed cover, the clamps which engagerrecesses in one side wall of said structure being constructed as hinge elements connected to clamps also constructed as hinge elements and engaging recesses in said cover.

8. A glass plate structure as claimed in claim 6, in which a plurality of clamps at corner positions of the structure engage a common recess' having a plurality of undercut walls.

ALEXANDER HERMAN. 

